Hunt For Merlin
by NarglesandNifflers
Summary: Slash. Whilst on a trip searching for a group of bandits, Merlin is kidnapped, causing Arthur and the Knights to go looking for him. They are determined to rescue their friend, but the bandits are just as determined to prevent them. None of this is helped due to the fact that Arthur is beginning to wonder if his feelings for Merlin are entirely platonic...
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin or any of the characters.**

"So, shall we camp here for dinner?"

Arthur's suggestion was met with a rousing cheer from Merlin, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan and Leon. He raised an eyebrow. "Were you honestly all that bored?"

"Not _bored,"_ said Leon at once. "Just tired."

"And hungry," said Gwaine feverishly. _"Very_ hungry."

"Well, why don't you go out hunting to bring us back something to eat?" suggested Arthur. "In fact, you'd _better_ go and get us some food, or else we won't have anything to eat tonight."

"All right, I'm going!" said Gwaine. "Come on Elyan, Percival, Leon."

The four knights rode off and Merlin and Arthur dismounted their horses. "Merlin, make us a campfire," said Arthur, collapsing against a tree and closing his eyes.

"You're not the _only_ one who's tired," Merlin pointed out. "What if I refuse to make you a campfire because I'm too tired?"

Arthur opened one eye. "I said _our_ campfire, not _my_ campfire. Anyway, you shouldn't be questioning my orders, Merlin, you're my manservant, after all."

Merlin rolled his eyes, a faint expression of annoyance crossing his face. "How could I forget?"

Arthur ignored him and settled down again, yawning widely. For a minute he lay quite still, listening to the sounds of Merlin bustling around making a campfire, and the soft wind rustling through the trees. Now and again he could hear birds twittering, and the peaceful sound relaxed him, although it was occasionally punctured by Merlin's loud and disgruntled sighs. Arthur continued to ignore him - after all, Merlin shouldn't be complaining, it was his job to serve Arthur.

Arthur's mind drifted to the reason they were on this trip anyway. It was refreshing, to be honest, to finally have to go hunting for someone who isn't Morgana, but a group of bandits. He sincerely hoped they would be able to find them tomorrow and be able to return to Camelot, as he wasn't in the mood for trekking through the woods for days, looking for a bunch of petty criminals.

Arthur stretched, yawning again, and opened his eyes, to where Merlin had already lit the campfire. Arthur frowned at him.

"How did you do that so quickly?"

Merlin shrugged. "It wasn't any quicker than usual. Plus," he added with a faint smile, "I've become quite used to making campfires by now."

"Well, at least there's one thing you can do Merlin," said Arthur, smiling. Merlin's eyes searched Arthur's face for a few seconds, before his smile widened as he moved to sit at the other side of the fire, opposite Arthur, not seeming the slightest bit offended by the insult.

"I hope we catch the bandits tomorrow," said Merlin, picking up a nearby stick and idly snapping it in half.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," said Arthur, looking across at his manservant. The flames were reflected in Merlin's face; his blue eyes looked almost golden. He stared back at Arthur across the fire and his lips flickered into a small smile. Arthur wondered what he looked like to Merlin, reflected in the flames, and then wondered why he was bothered about what Merlin thought of him.

"Anyway, we should be able to catch them tomorrow," he said. "I don't think they'll be hard to find."

Merlin smiled sadly. "They'll be easier than Morgana is to catch, anyway."

Arthur frowned. "Yes, I suppose you're right. At least these bandits aren't sorcerers; it would make it so much harder if they were, and kept using their dark magic against us like Morgana does. It should be relatively easy, once we find them, to take them back to the castle without a fuss."

Merlin said nothing. Arthur raised his eyes once more to look at his servant, who was wearing a strange expression, of mixed emotions. Arthur was able to discern sadness, but he was unsure what else was there. Maybe Merlin was simply feeling uncomfortable because they had mentioned Morgana, although, to be fair, it was Merlin who had brought Morgana's name, so why was Arthur now feeling guilty?

"The knights are back!" said Merlin suddenly, jumping to his feet. Arthur, watching him running off to greet them, dismissed his feelings; maybe he had just been imagining things, and Merlin was feeling fine after all. He was talking to Gwaine now, looking excited about something. Probably dinner, thought Arthur, smiling inwardly. He certainly seemed perfectly cheerful now; which came as a relief to Arthur, as Merlin was rarely subdued or quiet, and it always worried him when he was.

Arthur watched as Merlin said something to Percival, who pretended to hit him lightly on the head. Merlin dodged out of the way, laughing. Arthur felt a sharp pang as he watched them. Sometimes he wished he wasn't the King, and could truly have fun with Merlin once in a while; actually treat him like a proper friend and not a mediocre servant. Although, Arthur reminded himself quickly, Merlin _was_ a servant after all. He couldn't forget that.

However, they were friends, and Arthur couldn't forget _that _either. Merlin's status didn't stop him wishing he could laugh and joke with Merlin like the other knights could…..or was it? _Something _was definitely stopping him, as he could joke around with the other knights at perfect ease. Why couldn't he do the same with Merlin?

Arthur sighed and shook his head. It was Merlin's status as a servant that was preventing him from treating Merlin like a friend, that was what it was. After all, what else could it be?

A loud shout shattered his wistful thoughts like glass._ "ARTHUR!" _bellowed Merlin. _"Supper's ready!"_

Arthur scrambled to his feet, resolutely pushing his thoughts away, and made his way over the leaf littered grass to where the small group stood, feeding the horses and chatting. For some reason, this made Arthur feel strangely lonely.

"Hello, my Lord," Leon greeted him, turning away from his large dark horse, who nudged his arm impatiently, looking for food.

As always, the words, _"My name is Arthur,"_ sprang to Arthur's lips before he bit them back. He had used to enjoy being addressed as "my Lord" but the novelty was undoubtedly beginning to wear off. It set him apart from the others somehow – they could all call one another by their names, but called Arthur "my Lord" or "sire," reminding him that he was different from them. Well, Merlin still didn't of course, but for some reason that no longer annoyed Arthur. He was becoming quite used to being called a prat or an idiot by Merlin, and secretly quite liked it. It was certainly a refreshing change to be treated like a normal person for once.

"You all right Arthur?" asked Merlin breathlessly, struggling with a large bucket of water for the horses.

"Fine," said Arthur, shrugging. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't know," panted Merlin, almost falling over as he dragged the bucket a few more inches. "Just you seemed a bit….look, can I have a bit of help here people?"

Elyan laughed and picked up the other side of the bucket, helping Merlin carry it over to the horses.

"You're such a weakling Merlin," said Arthur, looking at his friend. He hadn't meant this remark to come across as unkind or offensive, but, almost as soon as the words were out his mouth, he realised it sounded mean, mocking, almost cruel. Merlin straightened up and Arthur winced; his blue eyes were like ice.

"I notice _you_ don't seem to do a lot around here to help – always getting me to do it, aren't you? And then you make fun of me – well, at least I'm doing something around here Arthur!"

"Well, of course you are!" said Arthur, taken aback by Merlin's sudden anger, but equally angry himself. "It's your job isn't it?"

Merlin's face twisted into an ugly scowl. "You're exactly like I always thought you were – a stupid snob! You're exactly like you're -"

"Merlin!" Leon interrupted him in shock. "Think about what you are saying! This is the King you're talking to!"

"He's still an ordinary person Leon, just like you and me!" Merlin snapped.

"Merlin," said Elyan quickly, "why don't we go and get some more food for the horses before we eat?"

Arthur knew this was an excuse to get Merlin away from him, as the horses had enough food, but he was immensely thankful to Elyan all the same. To his relief, Merlin nodded curtly and left, not even bothering to spare Arthur a single glance.

Arthur let out a deep breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding once Merlin and Elyan were out of sight. He was uncomfortably aware that the eyes of all the knights were on him and stared at the forest floor to avoid making eye contact with any of them.

"That was a bit of an overreaction," he said quietly, more to himself then to any of the other knights.

"I know what you mean," mumbled Leon. "But Merlin's been a bit…..annoyed about that lately."

Arthur raised his head to look at Leon, who seemed slightly nervous. "Annoyed about what?"

"About the fact that you don't treat him like a human being!" said Gwaine.

Arthur stared at him. "Merlin's words, not mine," added Gwaine hastily.

"He….he said that?" said Arthur numbly.

No one spoke, which, in Arthur's opinion, answered his question better than words could.

"They're returning," said Percival eventually. Arthur squared his shoulders and put on a brave face.

He remained relatively quiet for the rest of the evening, speaking only when he was spoken to, and going out of his way not to start up conversations with people. Part of the reason for this was that he was tired, and the other part of the reason was that he simply couldn't be bothered. He was feeling rather low and miserable, although he told himself that it was_ not_ due to his earlier argument with Merlin, and blamed it on lack of sleep.

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"Sire?"

Arthur mumbled inquiries as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, rolling over to face Leon.

"What is it?" he sighed, stifling a yawn.

"I think we've found the bandits," said Leon grimly, and Arthur gave a start, as he remembered the reason they were on this trip in the first place. He had spent most of last night brooding over his argument with Merlin, and had completely forgotten about the criminals they were supposed to be catching, probably because he hadn't taken a very active part in the conversations. Now, he jumped up and grabbed his sword.

"Are they anywhere near us?" he asked Leon in a low voice.

"Well, they certainly _were,"_ said Leon. "They'll be somewhere nearby, that's for sure."

"Is everyone else awake?" asked Arthur, feeling immensely grateful that he had fallen asleep wearing his armour.

"Don't worry, they are," said Leon, looking around him. "They should be-"

A distant yell interrupted him. Without saying anything, without even stopping to think, Arthur and Leon tore off in the direction of the sound. As they grew closer, Arthur heard more yells, and the distinctive crash of swords.

Scrambling impatiently up the grassy bank, he grasped the sword tighter in his hand as he looked at the scene below him….

Percival was fighting a dark, hooded figure, who appeared to be giving him a run for his money, as was the figure currently fighting Elyan. None of these figures seemed to be armed, but they were clearly good at fighting _without_ swords, which was surprising to Arthur. He looked around wildly for Merlin…..and Gwaine of course.

Leon was already racing forward to join the fight, and Arthur, after one last sweeping gaze of the battlefield, imitated Leon, running forward to assist his knights. He hit the nearest figure with his sword, but the sword flew out of his hand. As the reality hit Arthur, his eyes widened…..these people had magic.

"_Merlin!"_

Arthur turned sharply in the direction of the shout. Two of the figures were dragging a struggling Merlin on to their horse…..Arthur didn't stop to think; he went flying in the direction of them but it was too late. Gwaine was trying to fight them off but the nearest figure punched him, sending him flying against the nearest tree.

"Merlin!"

This shout was from Arthur's mouth now; ragged and desperate. One of the figures glanced round – they picked Arthur up and threw him bodily against a tree. He struggled, wincing, into a sitting position, staring in the direction of his friend, horror rising rapidly in his chest. Merlin looked back at him with large frightened eyes as the horse began galloping away….

Arthur struggled to his feet, however, it turned out he didn't have as much strength as he had thought, as he ended up collapsing against the tree again. When he had managed to gather up enough strength to sit up and look in Merlin's direction, his worst suspicions were confirmed.

Merlin was gone.

**A/N: I'll really appreciate any reviews! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter – your reviews brought a massive smile to my face and really motivated me when I wrote this chapter! :D Thank you to everyone who has followed this story or added it to their favourites too. :) **

Arthur couldn't move. He remained where he was, frozen, unable to believe what had just happened. Merlin was gone. He repeated the words in his mind. _Merlin was gone. _The sounds of the on-going battle seemed to fade into the distance as he struggled to process the information.

The world seemed to be spinning and he fell back against the tree. Maybe he had been thrown harder and further than he thought. His eyes felt heavy and he willed himself to stay conscious but it was too late. The world seemed to go black as he lost consciousness completely.

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Arthur opened his eyes weakly. What had just happened? He tried to remember what had happened before he had blacked out but he found he could barely remember a thing. He focused in on his current surroundings – he was lying on the forest floor, covered with a blanket, and could see Elyan, Leon and Gwaine over by a group of trees, mumbling among themselves. Percival appeared to be slumped against a tree, nursing what looked like his left arm. But where was Merlin? He was surprised that his faithful servant wasn't hovering over him, checking he was okay…

All of a sudden, the memories of earlier hit Arthur like a bucket of ice water. The angry words he and Merlin had exchanged, and then the kidnap of his friend. His stomach clenched.

"My Lord!" Elyan was hurrying towards Arthur, a relieved, although slightly strained, smile on his face. "Glad you're all right."

"I'm fine," said Arthur, already pushing himself to his feet and looking around for his sword, ignoring the throbbing pain in his neck and chest.

Elyan stopped short. "What….what are you doing?" he asked in confusion.

"Going after them of course," said Arthur sharply. "You didn't really think I wasn't going to bother rescuing Merlin did you?" Elyan said nothing, continuing to stare at Arthur. "How long have I been out for?"

"A few hours…but wait, Sire…" Elyan turned helplessly on the spot, his eyes following Arthur, who was already walking in the direction of the other knights. His body ached as he walked, but there was no way he was going to delay going after Merlin for any longer.

"We're going to go and find Merlin," he said curtly, as soon as he reached the knights. "Now."

"Of course," said Gwaine eagerly, "we need to go after him as soon as we can." He jumped on his horse, looking down expectantly at Arthur and the other knights.

"Percival can't come, I'm afraid," said Leon, glancing at the knight, who was looking rather weak and pale. "He's been badly injured. I'll stay behind with him if you like, my Lord."

"You might as well both return to the castle," said Arthur, glancing at Percival, who was looking frustrated.

"I think I'll be able to come if I…" he began.

"No," said Arthur at once. "I'm sorry Percival, but you'll slow us down."

Percival looked annoyed. "But I'm sure if I…"

"Look, I don't want a debate about it," said Arthur impatiently, mounting his horse. "We need to get going. Hurry up Elyan."

Elyan hoisted himself up on to his horse on to his horse, a determined expression on his face. "Let's get going."

The three of them rode mostly in silence, which Arthur found surprisingly disheartening. The last thing he wanted to be was left to his own, unhappy, thoughts, but, because no one was talking, he didn't have much else to do except ponder over Merlin, and where he was now, with increasing despair. He would even have welcomed some of Gwaine's incessant chatter right now; at least it would distract him from his rather gloomy thoughts for a little while.

Night soon began to draw in and the temperature began to drop rapidly. When Arthur, Elyan and Gwaine could go no further, they stopped their horses and prepared to settle down for the night. As Arthur watched Gwaine busy himself with making a campfire for the three of them, he felt a sharp pang, full of remorse and regret as he remembered Merlin doing exactly the same the night before. He remained quiet, not wanting to show the two knights his feelings of worry for Merlin.

"I just want to know," said Gwaine quietly, once the three of them had settled down around the campfire and were busy warming themselves, _"why_ they took him."

Arthur didn't initially reply; he had wondered that too but had spent the hours of silence riding to come up with the reason. "They probably took him because they know how important he was to me," he said eventually. "They took him because they knew I would come and save him – they wanted to lure me into a trap."

Gwaine snorted and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that Gwaine?" said Arthur, looking up sharply. The flames were reflected in Gwaine's face, much like Merlin's had been the night before, and Arthur felt a sharper pang than ever.

Elyan was glancing anxiously at Gwaine, and Arthur could have sworn he saw him shake his head almost imperceptibly before Gwaine turned to Arthur, his head raised defiantly.

"I said, it's not exactly as though you treat Merlin like he is important to you…my Lord." The last two words were almost spat out, and said with a faint sneer. Arthur stared at Gwaine in shock.

"Gwaine," murmured Elyan. "That's enough…"

"But it's the truth!" said Gwaine, his voice ringing in the quiet forest. "Even Merlin said so!"

"You don't have to tell me that!" Arthur snapped. "I feel bad enough as it is without you making it worse!"

Gwaine fell silent, much to Arthur's relief. He stared into the flickering flames, thinking about Merlin and their argument before he had been kidnapped. How he wished he could turn back time, turn back time so he and Merlin wouldn't have said those things to one another, and part, perhaps forever, on a bad note.

To Arthur's horror, he felt a lump rise in his throat, and swallowed hard. He wasn't about to start _crying! _He blinked hard and bit back the tears threatening to fall. _It will be all right._ _We will be able to rescue Merlin. _He continued to repeat the words in his head with increasing desperation.

"Sire?" Elyan's tentative voice interrupted his thoughts. He raised his head to look at the knight.

"Are…are you all right?" His words tumbled out of him in a rush, as his eyes searched Arthur's face, evidently trying to detect some kind of emotion there.

"Fine," lied Arthur, and was shocked to discover that his voice was slightly hoarse. Jumping to his feet, he mumbled something about getting some water, and made his way in the direction of the stream, careful not to walk too fast so as not to look suspicious.

As soon as he reached the stream, he let the tears fall. _Why was he feeling like this? _Here he was, by a stream in the dark, crying over his missing servant. It just didn't make sense. It was one thing to feel _worried_ about his friend, but to shed tears over it? He was Arthur Pendragon, the King; he didn't _cry._

He supposed part of the reason for his tears was down to guilt. Guilt and anger. And fear.

Gwaine's words echoed in his head; _"It's not exactly as though you treat Merlin like he is important to you." "But_ it's _the truth! Even Merlin said so!"_

Arthur shut his eyes and remembered what Merlin had said yesterday. _"You're exactly like you're-" _What? The only thing he could think of was father, but surely Merlin didn't think that? He smiled forlornly through his tears as he imagined his father's face if he could see his son now – crying over a servant. Part of him wishedMerlin himselfcould see him now, to let him know that Arthur truly cared about him.

Arthur buried his head in his hands. It hurt more than he thought it would to imagine Merlin thinking any negative thoughts about him. He took a deep breath and attempted to pull himself together.

For some reason, his tears had given him a sense of determination. A sense of determination to rescue Merlin and bring him back to Camelot. A sense of determination to treat Merlin like a proper human being, to treat him with actual respect, once they had found him and he was back at the castle, safe.

Unless it was too late.

**A/N: I hope this chapter was ok. Please tell me what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I am so grateful to anyone who does. :)**

He didn't know what was happening.

They had knocked him unconscious halfway there. Probably to silence him. When he had come around, he found himself in a tiny dark room, lying on a cold stone floor. He hadn't seen or heard from any of his kidnappers since.

There was a small flap on his door, presumably so food could be pushed through. His stomach was beginning to growl with hunger, but he hadn't received any food yet.

He had spent the last few hours trying to work out where he was, but this turned out to be a complete waste of time, as there were no windows in the room, or anything to give him any indication of where he was. He had eventually concluded that he was somewhere near the bandits hideout, but this was a useless piece of information, as he had no idea where the hideout was.

He had also devoted his long hours alone in the room to thinking about Arthur and the rest of the knights. He was worried about them, particularly Arthur. After all, he had seen Arthur getting slammed against a tree, and it had looked painful. He was regretting his argument with Arthur intensely, as he was sure Arthur had been hurt by his words. He imagined never seeing Arthur again, and those being the last words the two of them ever exchanged. He thought about Arthur, never knowing that he hadn't meant what he had said, and his heart twisted painfully.

He prayed that everything was all right.

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Arthur's head ached. He hadn't slept a wink last night and was feeling rather worse for wear. Neither Elyan nor Gwaine seemed to have had a good night's sleep either – Elyan's pale face and the dark rings under Gwaine's eyes told him that.

They set out almost before the sun had risen and were as quiet as yesterday. Neither of them had said anything when Arthur returned from the stream the other night, as he had taken advantage of the fact that he was by a stream and splashed cold water on his face, returning to the camp looking perfectly unruffled and unconcerned. However, he was starting to suspect that they were talking about him behind his back. Several times he had seen them exchange looks and both of them, particularly Gwaine, were treating him slightly coldly. Arthur had no idea why they were treating him with such frostiness, but if he was honest, he didn't particularly care. He didn't know what they were annoyed about but it was their problem, not his.

The silence was punctured with many yawns as they continued to ride through the forest, each man focusing on the path ahead of him, not even looking at his companions. Arthur couldn't quite get used to a silent Gwaine and occasionally he found himself turning in his seat, to check it _was_ Gwaine behind him, and not one of the other knights. Gwaine himself was looking slightly subdued, unlike himself, which Arthur put down to anxiety about Merlin. He continued to urge his horse on, aware that every second counted if they stood any chance of rescuing their friend.

"Sire?" Elyan called from the back of the trio. "I think I might have found something."

Arthur turned around so fast he almost cricked his neck. "What? What have you found?" He rode over to where Elyan stood, staring up at the branches of a tree with a faint frown on his face. Gwaine turned his horse round too, looking eagerly at Elyan.

Elyan cleared his throat. "Look here." He pointed at the tree. "See that? Isn't that part of…?"

"Merlin's neckerchief," breathed Arthur, staring at the small scrap of red material caught between the branches. He picked it up, almost tentatively. As he stared at it, he felt an overwhelming sense of loss, and, swallowing, tucked it safely into his pocket. He glanced up at the two knights and caught them hurriedly turning away from one another.

"I…thank you Elyan, for pointing this out to me," said Arthur, eyeing the two of them suspiciously.

"At least we know we're on the right track now," said Elyan brightly.

Arthur nodded, but his small feeling of relief didn't quite cover his confusion over Elyan and Gwaine's behaviour.

"Is everything all right?" he asked them pointedly.

"Well, except for the fact one of our friends is missing, everything is great," said Gwaine sarcastically. Arthur raised an eyebrow at him but, for once, was lost for a retort. He turned away abruptly.

"Well, let's go then," he said, imagining the faces Gwaine and Elyan might be pulling behind his back. He didn't know why, but it made him miss Merlin even more. He could hear the two knights talking in low voices behind his back but ignored them and urged his horse into a gallop.

"Hurry up!" he called over his shoulder. "We need to ride faster." He heard the sound of hooves pick up behind him and prepared himself for a few more hours of silence.

To his surprise, Gwaine rode up beside him. "My Lord, we need to discuss where Merlin might have been taken. He could have been taken anywhere."

"Well, we're obviously going the right way," said Arthur.

A look of annoyance passed fleetingly across Gwaine's face. "Yes, my Lord," he said, sounding as though he was gritting his teeth, "but we still don't know where he was taken do we? Where do we go from here?"

"He'll probably be at the bandit's hideout," said Arthur curtly, slightly rattled by Gwaine's tone. "I have a rough idea where that is."

"Well, where is it?" asked Gwaine.

"I think it will be somewhere round about the outskirts of the forest," said Arthur. "I think we should continue on this trail until we reach the outskirts."

"You sure it will be on the outskirts?" said Gwaine sceptically. "I would have thought they would have their hideout buried somewhere in the middle of the forest."

"They haven't," said Arthur at once. "I've already had the centre of the forest searched…"

"Yes," Gwaine interrupted, "but the forest is very big."

"Look," said Arthur impatiently, "it's on the outskirts, all right? I've spent ages thinking about it – I should know by now."

"Of course, you know best, as always," said Gwaine with a sneer, glancing round at Elyan and giving him a look of disbelief. Arthur, frowning, opened his mouth to question Gwaine and ask him what exactly his problem was, but Gwaine slowed down slightly to ride alongside Elyan.

Arthur felt slightly bewildered. Why was Gwaine acting so out of character? He had enough worries to deal with right now; he didn't want to have to add _that_ into the mix.

Arthur shook his head. He should be putting Merlin as his first priority, not Gwaine. After all, Merlin needed him right now.

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter - the next one will be longer!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so, so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter! I really do appreciate it. :D**

He didn't know how long he'd been there. It could have been hours, it could have been days. Time passed so slowly when you were bored.

Every bone in his body was aching. He hadn't yet received any food. This was definitely beginning to impact on how he was feeling – he was feeling weaker and weaker by the minute. He was huddled in the corner of the cell, trying to push the uncomfortable thought out of his mind that they were starving him to death.

His thoughts travelled to Arthur. He wondered, not for the first time, if he was even looking for him. Would he even be bothered that his "stupid, idiotic" manservant had been kidnapped? He felt sick at the thought. He was going to be stuck here, left here to die, whilst never getting the chance to see Arthur again. Never getting the chance to tell him how he really felt.

He didn't even want to think about what would happen if Arthur_ did_ come for him. If he didn't bother rescuing his servant, at least he would remain safe. Although he would have liked to think that he was worth more to Arthur than that.

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"Gwaine, Elyan, we should stop."

It was well into the night, and they were still riding. Arthur hated himself for being the one to stop them, but he was aware that they could easily take completely the wrong turning, as it was now pitch black.

"Fine," said Gwaine grudgingly. Arthur couldn't see him, but he could imagine the expression on his face. He rolled his eyes and dismounted his horse. Looking around, he realised he could barely see a thing. Dark shapes he assumed were trees towered above him, waving menacingly in the dark. He could vaguely make out the shapes of Elyan and Gwaine through the dark.

"You'd better make us a campfire," he said, addressing the shadow nearest to him. "I'll go and get us some water from a nearby stream…if there_ is_ a stream near us."

"Go and look," said Gwaine's curt voice through the dark.

Arthur ground his teeth in frustration. "What is _wrong_ with you Gwaine?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know what I mean," said Arthur, annoyed. "You've been in a foul mood ever since we left the other knights to go and search for Merlin…"

"Exactly!" Gwaine interrupted. "Me and Elyan's friend is missing! What do you expect me to be doing – singing and dancing?"

"No," said Arthur angrily, and not liking the way Gwaine said "me and Elyan's friend." "But there's no need to keep being so rude to me!"

"I've not been _rude_ to you," said Gwaine, although his tone suggested he knew very well what Arthur meant.

"Of course you haven't," said Arthur sarcastically. He was extremely glad that it was dark, as it was somehow easier to shout at Gwaine without actually having to look him in the eye.

"Look, I can't be bothered with this right now," said Gwaine. His voice was hard. "You're not worth it, _Arthur._ You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"I'm going to go and get us some water," Arthur snapped, heading off through the trees. He walked blindly, fuming. _How could Gwaine speak to me like that? _Only Merlin could speak to him with such disrespect and Merlin…well, Merlin wasn't here right now. His throat tightened, and he pushed all thought of Merlin completely out of his mind, spending the next few minutes searching for any sounds that might indicate a stream, but could only hear the occasional sounds of an owl hooting. Eventually he returned to the camp, which he had been careful not to stray too far from. All the same, he felt a rush of relief as he saw the faint flickering of the campfire through the looming trees.

As he approached, he heard Gwaine's distant voice floating towards him. As he grew closer, the words became clearer. He was trying not to listen, not wanting to hear any of the things Gwaine would undoubtedly be calling him, but the sound of Merlin's name pulled him up short.

"…just doesn't care about him. Does he?" came Gwaine's voice, floating out through the darkness.

"I don't know," said Elyan hesitantly. "I do keep telling you that we shouldn't forget that Arthur is at least bothering to search for him…"

"Yes," Gwaine interrupted impatiently, "because if he didn't he wouldn't have a manservant any more would he?"

"He could get another one."

"Look Elyan, he doesn't care about him. It's obvious. Merlin himself said so."

Arthur frowned. Of course he cared about Merlin! He remembered the other night, when he had cried over his missing, not _servant,_ but friend. Thinking back, it seemed ridiculous, as it wasn't as though Merlin had been killed or anything. He was very confident in his own abilities, and was sure that he would find Merlin soon, but he supposed he had been crying more over the possibility Merlin could have been killed, not to mention the fact that these people had magic and Merlin didn't, so he didn't really stand a chance against them.

"I know but I noticed that you told him he did," Elyan was saying. With a start, Arthur pulled himself out of his own thoughts and back to reality, focusing in on the conversation between the two knights.

"Yes, because I thought so," said Gwaine impatiently. "But it's obvious now that he doesn't, isn't it? He hasn't shown the slightest bit of emotion – no concern for his friend, nothing."

Arthur's breath caught in his throat.

"It's a shame for Merlin," said Elyan sympathetically. "He doesn't deserve this. I mean, the poor guy's obviously besotted with him…"

"He is," said Gwaine at once. "No question about it."

Arthur's eyes widened, as he let out a sharp intake of breath. The world seemed to be spinning. _Merlin,_ in love with him?

No, Arthur thought firmly. _No._

Plus, it wasn't as though_ he_ loved Merlin or anything. In fact, _Merlin_ probably didn't love him. Yes, Arthur thought confidently, this was just the knights guessing, they didn't actually know…

Anyway, his feelings for Merlin were, had been and always would be purely platonic. They were like brothers, not _lovers… _Weren't they?

"I wonder if…" began Gwaine.

"Quiet!" said Elyan sharply. "Look over there, by the tree. I thought I just saw something move."

Arthur groaned inwardly, clearing his throat and stepping out from behind the tree. "That was me." He could see Gwaine and Elyan quite clearly against the black, their faces lighted up by the fire, both looking fearful. Elyan was on his feet, however, as soon as he realised it was Arthur, he collapsed back on to the floor, relief clearly etched onto his face.

"Sorry for startling you," said Arthur, moving forward tentatively.

"Not at all!" said Elyan, a little too heartily. He seemed nervous, Arthur noticed, indisputably a result of the conversation he had just had with Gwaine.

"Have you, er, been back long?" asked Elyan casually.

"A little while, yes," said Arthur, deciding to be honest. Well, partly honest. "I heard a small part of your conversation – the part about me not caring about Merlin."

Elyan stared at him, his eyes wide. "Did you hear anything else?"

"No," lied Arthur. "Nothing at all."

Elyan looked relieved, however, Gwaine was eyeing Arthur with decided mistrust. Arthur took a deep breath and clenched his fists. Part of him wanted to tell the knights that he _did_ care about Merlin, but part of him was holding back, although he had no idea why. But he knew what he was going to have to say.

"Gwaine, I _do_ care for Merlin, whatever you might think," he said, the words coming out in a rush. "He's _my_ friend, as well as yours, and I'm determined to find him. I wouldn't feel that determined if I didn't care about him, would I? You need to believe me so that we can stop arguing with each other, and work together to find Merlin."

There was a silence as both knights stared at Arthur, who purposely avoided meeting their eyes, and stared at the shadowy trees surrounding the group, behind Gwaine and Elyan.

The silence stretched until it was almost unbearable, before Gwaine finally broke it with a sigh. "Okay. I believe you."

Arthur let out a deep breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "Good. Because it's the truth."

Gwaine nodded, regarding him intently. "I didn't meant to be rude to you or anything, but I was only doing it out of defence for one of my friends, you know?"

Arthur nodded. "I know."

None of them mentioned the subject of Arthur and Merlin for the rest of the night, but that didn't stop Arthur thinking about it. Later, as he lay under the dark sky, covered in blankets and trying in vain to get to sleep, he wondered if there _was_ any truth in what Elyan and Gwaine had been saying...could Merlin really be in love with him?

Suddenly, as the enormity of what he was saying hit him, he sat bolt upright, clutching the blankets in terror. Did he…was he actuallyhoping that Merlin _did_ have a crush on him?

No, he told himself firmly. He didn't like Merlin in that way at all. They were friends. Just friends.

**A/N: I'll really, really appreciate any reviews! :) They always motivate me with my writing.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you so, so, SO much to the people who reviewed the last chapter! Your reviews always make me smile! :D**

"What is he doing?"

"Sleeping," the man answered.

His companion's lips curved into a thin smile. "This is the chance we've been waiting for." He set off briskly down the corridor. "Follow me." As he walked he drew a small silver key out of his pocket.

The two men eventually reached the cell they were looking for. As they unlocked the door, the small, frail figure on the floor stirred.

Moving like lightening, the man nearest the boy pointed a long, thin hand at him, intoning a couple of words under his breath. The boy settled down at once, sinking back into sleep. The man glanced at his companion, his lips drawn into a wide smile.

"This is too good an opportunity to miss," he breathed. "Now we have this boy asleep, defenceless, what better time to use our magic against him? To weaken him so much he won't be able to fight back?"

"Just be careful not to hurt him _too_ much," the man warned. "We still want him alive for when Pendragon inevitably comes to rescue him. We just need him to be…weaker."

The man nodded, as he raised out a hand, already running through a mental list of all the evil curses he could use on the boy… without killing him of course.

xxooxxooxxooxxoo

"So are you telling us that you think we're near?"

"Yes, Sire," said Gwaine eagerly. "I'm sure of it."

"But Gwaine," said Arthur, slightly impatiently, "_why_ are you sure?"

Gwaine pointed at the muddy ground. "Horse tracks."

Arthur followed Gwaine's eyes and saw several hoof prints clearly imprinted in the mud. He frowned.

"I'm not sure if that necessarily means that we're almost there Gwaine but…"

"But we're near the outskirts of the forest," Elyan interrupted. "Didn't you say that's where the bandit's hideout is?"

"Yes," Arthur admitted. "Good point. All right, keep an eye out for anything that might tell us where we are, or act as some kind of clue." His fellow knights nodded as they carried on riding, slightly slower than usual and much more alert.

Arthur found he was struggling to stay awake. The last few nights had been terrible in terms of his sleeping. On the plus side, at least Gwaine had stopped arguing with him, in fact, he and Elyan appeared to have completely forgotten everything that had happened between he and Gwaine the last few days. This came as a great relief to Arthur, as they were working together much better now. He saw the fact that they were now cooperating with one another as a rise in their chances of finding Merlin.

They rode for another hour or so until Arthur, who was leading the group, stopped abruptly.

"My Lord?" he heard Elyan say in surprise from directly behind him.

"Don't move!" said Arthur sharply. "Quiet…" He stared at the trees around him, holding his breath, looking for it again.

Everyone was silent. No one moved. He could hear Elyan's ragged breathing behind him, and the gentle rustle of leaves as the cool wind blew through, mingled with the babbling of a nearby stream. He was beginning to wonder if he had imagined it when he saw it again.

"There," he whispered, gesturing in the direction he had seen it, not taking his eyes off it for a second. "Do you see it? I think there's something there…"

"I see it!" whispered Elyan fervently. "Do you think it's safe to approach?"

As Arthur stared in the direction of what he felt sure was a house, a feeling a determination filled him. "We've got too." He dismounted his horse, tying it to the tree. "Come on. We'll be quieter if we approach on foot."

Gwaine and Elyan slid off their horses, drawing their swords. "Now," whispered Arthur, "we need to go…"

"_Arthur!"_ bellowed Gwaine, pointing his sword to a point behind Arthur's shoulder. Startled, Arthur swung round, and caught a fleeting glimpse of a group of dark, cloaked men advancing towards them before Elyan and Gwaine hurtled in front of him, obscuring his view of them.

Arthur ran straight towards the nearest figure and struck him with the sword, causing him to collapse onto the grass. He ran forward to assist Gwaine and Elyan in fighting the remaining men, all the time thinking to himself: _We're near. We're near the hideout. We've reached Merlin. _The thought kept him going, motivating him as he fought the bandits with a new strength and intensity.

As he hit another figure down with the sword, he caught sight of Gwaine fighting a few meters away. The memory of last night flashed back and the words "Merlin is besotted with him," ran through his mind.

Losing concentration, he dropped the sword and bent to pick it up, angry with himself. His hands were strangely sweaty and he wiped them across his brow, ignoring the strange feeling of _hope_ suddenly bubbling inside his chest.

Something struck him in the back and he collapsed onto the grass, panting. Looking up, he could see a tall, hooded figure staring down at him for a second before raising out a hand and chanting something under its breath.

Arthur flung himself out of the way just in time, furious with himself for forgetting where he was and, for no reason whatsoever, feeling _hopeful._ It wasn't as though he was in _love_ with Merlin or anything, so why had he been so stupid? Shaking his head in anger and frustration, he scrambled to his feet before the figure could hit him with another curse. _"Where is our friend?!" _he bellowed, as the figure turned towards him, arm outstretched. _"Where have you_ _taken him?" _The figure made no signs of stopping. "Take me to your boss!" Arthur shouted wildly, anger giving him strength. "Take me to your boss, if you have one!"

The figure faltered, its arm lowering slightly.

"Take me to him," Arthur snarled. "I'll settle…" He didn't have the chance to finish the sentence. The figure struck him with a curse, hitting him square in the chest. He swayed unsteadily on the spot for a few seconds, before crumpling to the ground, lifeless.

xxooxxooxxooxxoo

Arthur stirred and opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. He could hear someone talking, distantly, as though the voice was miles away. He frowned, looking around at his surroundings with bleary eyes.

He was in a large room, tied to a pillar. He turned his head slightly, bewildered, and found himself face to face with Gwaine.

"Hello," said Gwaine grimly.

"What are we…?" Arthur's voice trailed off as he remembered what had happened. "Wait a minute…I was…how did we get here?"

"You and Gwaine were both knocked unconscious," came Elyan's weary voice from the other side of Arthur. "They took us here. I _did_ try and fight them off but there was too many. They kept going on about taking you to "the boss" or something."

"I asked one of them to take me to their boss," said Arthur, frowning. "It was so I could question him about Merlin!" he protested, as the other two knights looked at him in evident confusion.

"Well, we haven't seen him yet," said Elyan with a sigh.

"The boss?" You wouldn't be talking about me now, would you?" came a voice from behind the pillar.

Arthur stiffened.

"Nice of you to drop in Pendragon," he said lazily, wandering round the pillar and coming to a stop directly in front of Arthur. Arthur had been picturing an intimidating figure who towered above everyone, but in reality, he was actually quite small and comical – fat with a long black beard. Arthur glared at him.

"Where is our friend?" he snapped. "What have you done with him?"

"I would ask politely if I were you," he said softly. "We could kill you in an instant if we wanted to."

"I don't care if you have magic!" Arthur snarled, not entirely truthfully. "I want our friend back!"

He laughed, a great booming laugh, bouncing off the walls and echoing around the room.

"Do you really think that you can just walk in here and demand that we give you your friend back? I took him for a reason Pendragon – to bring you here. I'm not about to let you simply walk free."

"Well, if it's just me you want," said Arthur quickly, rather ashamed of the fact that his heart was thumping madly, "keep me and let the others go."

"_No!"_ said Gwaine and Elyan in unison.

Arthur glared at them. "Look, just…"

"I'm sorry," the man interrupted, "but I'm afraid I don't have the intention of letting _any _of you leave. So you can kiss goodbye to _that _hope."

"Why do you even want him?" asked Gwaine angrily, jerking his head in the direction of Arthur.

"Your father did us sorcerers a great wrong," he replied quietly, looking at Arthur, his expression filled with a sudden, intense hatred. "Executing us, forcing us to go into hiding…"

"But I'm _not_ my father!" Arthur snapped.

"But you're his son," he replied quietly.

"If you're going to attempt to get back at my father through me then that's pathetic!" said Arthur in disgust. "My father is no longer alive. What would be the point of killing me?"

"To stop you_ becoming_ your father of course!" he replied scornfully. "Anyway, just the fact that you're his son is enough for me."

Arthur opened his mouth for an angry retort, but the words died on his lips. It struck him like a blow to the stomach that every second spent arguing was a second he could use to persuade the leader of the bandits to take him to Merlin.

"Where is Merlin?" was the question which sprang to his lips.

"So you're back on that subject now are you?" he said, faking a yawn. "How dull. However…" He pointed his hand at the ropes binding the three knights to the pillar and whispered a few words under his breath. The ropes loosened at once.

Arthur glanced at his wrists, which were burning in pain. The ropes had left deep red marks in his skin; however, at least they were off. He felt strange – light and free, as though he was flying, without the effect of the heavy ropes dragging him down, binding him to the ground.

"This way." He found himself being dragged along a dark corridor, along with Gwaine and Elyan. The door of a cell was opened and Gwaine and Elyan were almost thrown inside. Arthur struggled like mad, trying to loosen the man's grip on his arm, but the man was resilient, not letting go. He continued along the corridor, hauling Arthur after him. Arthur was furious with himself, furious that he couldn't save himself, but, much as he hated to admit it, he was blinded by fear. They had magic – they could kill him on the spot, torture him, do anything they wanted with him.

Somewhere behind Arthur, someone sniggered; turning, he saw the leader of the bandits sneering at him. "If you're so keen to see your friend, how about you stay with him?" He barely had time to register the words before he was thrust into a small, dark cell.

Arthur could hear the man laughing as he left and he struggled into a sitting position, gritting his teeth in pain. At first glance, the cell appeared to be empty; however, there was an almost inaudible whisper in the corner of the room.

"Who's there?" asked Arthur boldly. He moved in the direction of the sound.

"_Arthur."_

There it was again. Arthur reached out a hand tentatively and the palm of his hand brushed over what felt like hair.

"Who are you?"

"Arthur, it's me," came a weak, hoarse voice.

Arthur's heart jumped to his throat. He was sure he recognised that voice, in fact, he _knew_ he recognised that voice.As his eyes adjusted to the dark, his suspicions were confirmed – if he strained his eyes, he realised he could make out his manservant, lying on the floor. His clothes were torn, one of his eyes was black and his lip was gushing with blood. His eyes were half closed, and were able to take in Arthur before fluttering shut again.

Arthur stared in shock and horror at the crumpled figure of his friend and, for a second, thought he was going to faint.

"_Merlin?"_

**A/N: As always, I'll really appreciate any reviews! :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As always, thank you so much to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! I'm really, really grateful to you all. :D**

For what felt like ages, neither Merlin nor Arthur moved. Arthur was frozen in shock, staring down at Merlin, feeling faint. As for Merlin, he appeared unable to move, or even open his eyes.

"Merlin," said Arthur quietly, bending down to sit next to his friend. It was cold and not exactly comfortable on the stone floor, but he didn't care. He reached an arm out and rested it gently on Merlin's knee.

"When did they do this to you?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly.

"Earlier," said Merlin hoarsely. It seemed every word was causing him pain. "When I was asleep."

Arthur felt a lump rise to his throat and he shifted slightly closer to Merlin. "I'm sorry this happened," he mumbled.

"It wasn't your fault," Merlin croaked.

Arthur didn't reply. It felt as though someone was twisting his heart mercilessly, trying to cause him as much pain as possible. He breathed out deeply in an attempt to calm himself. He had to remain strong for Merlin. Briefly, the memory of their argument flashed through his mind but he pushed it away impatiently. Now wasn't the time to remember it.

"Have you had anything to eat?" he asked in a low voice.

"They gave me something when I woke up," said Merlin, swallowing, as though to rid himself of a sore throat. "Was…was it just you who came to find me?" He asked the question hesitantly, almost as though part of him didn't want to hear Arthur's answer.

"No, Elyan and Gwaine came too," Arthur told him.

Merlin said nothing. Arthur looked at him and wondered if he was imagining the fact that his eyes looked decidedly downcast and dejected. Frowning, he thought back to what he had said, but he couldn't see how it could have upset him…

His thoughts were interrupted by a fit of coughing from Merlin. Arthur took his hand and squeezed it tenderly, feeling a rush of sympathy to see Merlin like this. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked him, feeling a stab of pain.

"Water," gasped Merlin between coughs.

"But Merlin, there isn't any…"

Merlin pointed a shaking hand over to the opposite end of the cell. Arthur jumped to his feet and hurried over in the direction Merlin had pointed. At first glance, there appeared to be nothing there, however, as he moved a few steps to the right, he saw something glint. Feeling a rush of hope, he bent down and saw a glass of water.

Merlin's coughs were becoming increasingly violent. Arthur picked up the glass and ran across to his friend, coaxing him into a sitting position. "Come on Merlin," he pleaded, "you won't be able to drink this properly if you don't sit up." He wrapped his arm around Merlin and helped him into a sitting position, before raising the glass of water to Merlin's dry, chapped lips.

He held Merlin steady until he had drunk his fill, before he lay back down again and mumbled his thanks.

"No problem," whispered Arthur, his throat feeling tight. It felt horribly strange to see his lively servant so weak and helpless. He found himself wondering why he felt so miserable, but frowned and pushed the thought away. After all, he and Merlin were as close as brothers, so it was perfectly natural to feel so protective of him. What other reason could it be? He shook his head, blaming Elyan and Gwaine for putting these…_ideas _into his head. He watched as Merlin closed his eyes again, and was about to settle down himself when Merlin suddenly reached out a hand and clutched Arthur's arm. His fingers were icy.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispered, his lips trembling.

Arthur wondered why he suddenly felt so elated. Was it because of what Merlin had said? Well, if it was, it was probably just because they were friends, and he had been worrying that Merlin would still be remembering their argument. Yes, that was it. "I'm glad too," he said honestly. "Although I would have preferred not to have to see you like this."

Merlin smiled weakly and lay down again, back slumped against the wall. For a few seconds, he simply stared at Arthur, eyes half open, lips slightly parted.

"Is everything all right?" Arthur asked him in concern. The moment he asked the question, he kicked himself – of course everything wasn't all right! However, Merlin didn't seem at all perturbed. He merely continued to stare at Arthur before blurting out, "I can't do it!"

Arthur frowned. "Do what Merlin?"

Merlin stared at him for a few more seconds before mumbling unintelligibly under his breath and sliding down the wall a few more inches, his eyes rapidly closing.

"Merlin!" Arthur put his arms around him, pulling him close. He could feel Merlin's small frame trembling in his arms.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, trying not to make his voice sound as desperate as he felt.

"I can't.…magic," Merlin murmured.

"You what?" said Arthur in bewilderment. It sounded as though Merlin was saying he couldn't do magic, but that was impossible as he couldn't do magic anyway! He was clearly confused, Arthur decided, confused and ill. His musings were interrupted by a loud sniff.

"Merlin?" he asked cautiously. "What's the matter?"

Merlin didn't reply; he merely shook his head and swallowed hard. Arthur bit his lip – Merlin was definitely unwell, judging by his abrupt change of mood. He looked closely at his friend and felt a rush of relief – at least he wasn't crying, although his eyes were watering slightly. Unsure what to do, he rubbed Merlin's back reassuringly until he seemed to calm himself and lay still. Arthur continued to hold Merlin tightly in his arms until his breathing steadied. Arthur smiled to himself, glad to see that he was finally asleep.

He wondered briefly about settling down to sleep himself, but decided against it almost immediately. The thought of Merlin waking up and wanting something when he was fast asleep was more than he could bear. Almost unconsciously, his grip around Merlin tightened as he prepared himself for the long night ahead of him.

At least he was with Merlin. After all, they were best friends. Yes, Arthur told himself firmly, that was all they were. Best friends.

**A/N: I'm really sorry that this chapter is so short and probably not all that great. I will try and make the next one longer and I'll definitely put some Merthur moments in it! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: If you reviewed the last chapter, thank you! :)**

The next few hours were smoother than Arthur had anticipated. Merlin remained deeply asleep for most of the time, only shifting occasionally in Arthur's arms. Arthur had remained awake the whole time, despite the fact that he was absolutely exhausted, not to mention freezing cold, thirsty and extremely hungry. He had briefly considered taking a sip from the glass of water but had decided against it almost immediately. Merlin needed that water, but _he_ didn't.

Eventually, he felt Merlin stir. He remained still, not wanting to wake him with any sudden movement. He knew that Merlin was obviously very ill if his distress and confusion earlier were anything to go by, therefore he needed his sleep. He glanced down at Merlin, who was rubbing his eyes weakly, and felt a feeling of great affection rise inside his chest.

"All right?" he asked Merlin in a low voice.

Merlin mumbled something and Arthur moved instinctively towards the glass of water. "Do you need a drink?"

"No, haven't you had one?" Merlin croaked. Even through his scratched and bruised face and swollen eyes, Arthur could see the concern written all over it. He smiled, a smile which held a hint of sadness. It was just like Merlin to be worried about other people when he was in pain himself. Occasionally he found himself wishing he was more like Merlin, and shuddered as he imagined Merlin's reaction if he ever knew that.

"I haven't had one," he said, as he looked down to smile at Merlin. "But I'm not thirsty," he added hastily, as Merlin opened his mouth in protest.

"Right," said Merlin in his rasping voice. "Looks like you're not as selfish as I thought."

Arthur smiled and opened his mouth but before he had even formed words there was a bang from outside of the cell.

Merlin looked up fearfully. Almost instinctively, it seemed, his fingers tightened their grip around Arthur's hand. Arthur tried to ignore the feelings of pleasure fluttering inside his stomach – they were perfectly innocent, of course, he was simply happy because Merlin seemed to trust him, wasn't he? He placed a reassuring hand on Merlin's arm, feeling the muscles underneath his fingers tensing.

"Keep calm," he breathed, as the sound of footsteps began to advance to their cell, growing louder and louder with every step. Arthur felt a flutter of nerves as a man came into view and began to unlock the cell door, his face hidden in shadow. His nerves were more for Merlin than for himself, as Merlin was already in a weak condition and he dreaded to think of what these people could do to him.

The door was opened slowly, creaking slightly as the man advanced into the cramped room, his hand outstretched.

"Don't move!" he snapped in a harsh, gravelly voice. "You'll only make things worse." Arthur loathed the fact that a common _criminal _could address him like this, but he took the man to his word, as who knew what he could do to him, or even worse, to Merlin.

The man grabbed Arthur's upper arm, pushing Merlin roughly to the floor. "Don't do that to him!" said Arthur furiously. "Haven't you hurt him enough?"

The man ignored him and picked up Merlin, grasping his wrist tightly in a sweaty hand. Arthur took hold of Merlin's other hand so as to steady him. They made their way down the corridor, the man dragging Arthur, Merlin stumbling behind.

He and Merlin were thrown into a room, landing face down on the floor. Arthur struggled to sit up, wincing.

"Merlin!"

Arthur glanced up and spotted Gwaine and Elyan, both of whom were held in a firm grasp by another, grim faced, man. Although he felt a rush of relief to see his knights, it didn't quite suppress the small glimmer of jealousy flickering in his chest as they beamed across at Merlin, who smiled feebly back, clearly pleased to see them, yet unable to gather the strength to express his joy properly. Arthur moved to sit next to Merlin and placed a comforting hand on his.

"It will be fine," he said under his breath. "You're with me. I'll get us all out of here."

"Well, you're still an arrogant prat, I see," said Merlin, smiling weakly.

Arthur sighed. "I probably always will be." He glanced over to where a large group of the bandits had entered the room, and took a deep breath, turning to face Merlin again.

"What?" he asked in bewilderment, taking in the strange look Merlin was giving him. _"What?"_

"Nothing," Merlin mumbled, but Arthur wasn't convinced. His eyes searched Merlin's face, which was slightly redder than usual; however, his lips were turned up into a faint smile. Glancing down at his hand, still resting atop Merlin's, Arthur realised almost at once what was wrong. He was absent-mindedly playing with Merlin's fingers, holding them tenderly, almost _lovingly,_ in his hand…

Arthur shot backwards in shock, dropping Merlin's hand as though it was hot. He could feel himself burning, his face flooding with colour in shock and mortification.

"I…" he stammered, looking across at Merlin who looked slightly surprised and…sad? His thoughts were lost as he was kicked in the back by the nearest bandit, landing on his hands and knees.

"Stand up!" the bandit barked.

Arthur clambered to his feet, shooting the bandit a filthy look. He avoided all eye contact with Merlin, and instead looked across at Gwaine and Elyan, smiling what he hoped was a reassuring smile at them.

"Look at me!" snapped a loud voice, and Arthur, turning to see the source of the noise, recognised the leader of the bandits at once.

"Well, I hope you all had a good night," he said, smiling mockingly. "I'm afraid I didn't get much sleep – I was awake, deciding what to do with all of you, you see."

His eyes flickered around the small group, coming to rest on Arthur, who stared stonily back. He stared at Arthur for a few seconds more before turning away, looking at Merlin with evident distaste.

"We may as well dispose of you," he said coldly. "You have served your purpose – you've brought Pendragon here and that is all I care about."

"You'd better not."

The whole room turned to stare at Arthur, whose hands had balled themselves into fists as he stared at the man in front of him, shaking with fury.

"Well, _now_ I'm scared!" said the man, smiling scornfully. "Terrified, in fact. Let's just see how you handle this…" Before anyone could react, he spun around abruptly on the spot, pointed his hand at Merlin and growled a couple of indistinguishable words under his breath.

Merlin's body jerked and twisted, his breath coming out in convulsive gasps. Arthur moved forward, his eyes wide in horror.

"Stop it!" he roared, sprinting towards the man, who was laughing in delight, as Merlin choked, gasping, his eyes screwed up in pain.

Arthur grabbed the sorcerer, forcing him to break off the spell as he wrestled him to the ground, too angry to care about anything. He vaguely heard shouts behind him but ignored them, focusing his energy on trying to cause this man who had hurt Merlin as much pain as possible. He briefly wished he had a sword, but he could still use his fists. Before he could begin to punch the man, or begin to do anything to hurt him, he felt himself being lifted up and flung backwards. Landing on his back, he jumped instantly to his feet and took in the scene before him.

What seemed like hundreds of bandits were running pretty much everywhere, swarming around the room like angry bees. A few of them were engaged in a fight with Gwaine and Elyan, and the rest appeared to simply be there for backup. As for Merlin, he was…

An icy cold hand of fear clutched Arthur's heart as he stared at Merlin, lying face down on the floor, motionless. Without thinking, he sprinted across the room, skidding to a halt and dropping to his knees as soon as he reached his friends body.

"Mer-"

He felt someone grab his arm and haul him to his feet. Before he could register what was happening, his head was forced backwards and he felt something smooth and cold being placed on his neck. He was about to swing round, do something to defend himself, but he knew deep down that it was no use -they could kill him on the spot.

"I've got him boss!" he heard the man holding him shout. Wincing at the noise, as the man had shouted directly in his ear, he could only stare at the ceiling as he heard the boss approaching.

"Well, well, well," Arthur heard him say. "Looks like we've got you now Pendragon. Don't think you'll be able to escape, not when you've got a blade to your throat."

Arthur didn't move.

"Well," he heard him say distantly – Arthur assumed he had moved away to confer with a fellow criminal, "It looks as though we'll have to…"

CRASH.

Arthur heard a panicked yell from behind him and was thrown to the floor. He lay face down, shielding himself from… whatever was currently happening. He could hear distant cries, constant bangs and thuds, and he shut his eyes, lying still but panicking inwardly, his mind racing. _What was going on?_

As the noise began to gradually die away, he sat up, pushing his hair impatiently out of his eyes. The room was transformed. Here and there, he saw various figures lying as limp and lifeless as Merlin had been earlier. As for Merlin, where was he? Arthur staggered to his feet and had managed to totter a few steps when he walked directly into Gwaine.

"Gwaine – what happened?" he asked agitatedly, turning jerkily on the spot as he scanned the room frantically for Merlin.

"Hurry up, we need to get out of here before the bandits wake up," said Gwaine hastily, tugging at Arthur's arm.

"But-"

"Merlin and Elyan are already on their way to get our horses," said Gwaine, answering Arthur's unasked question. "Don't worry, Merlin is fine. Still very weak of course, but he's not been gravely injured. It isn't life threatening."

"Right," said Arthur, grateful that Gwaine seemed to know what he was thinking and understand. He followed Gwaine, who thankfully seemed to know where he was going.

"But what happened back there?" he asked, as Gwaine reached a small window and slid it open.

"I'll tell you later," said Gwaine, glancing uneasily behind his shoulder. "We need to speed up."

Arthur saw sense in these words and pushed the matter to the back of his mind as Gwaine gestured to him to climb through the window.

"You go first," said Arthur at once. "I'll stay here."

Gwaine apparently saw there was no point in arguing with him, and clambered through the window. Once he was sure Gwaine was gone, Arthur climbed through the window and dropped lightly on to the ground outside.

"Why did we have to go that way?" he questioned Gwaine as they set off through the trees.

"I was discussing it with Elyan," said Gwaine, almost tripping over a tree root as he hurried over towards a small clump of trees. "When we were taken along earlier to the leader of the bandits, we passed that window and Elyan glanced out of it and spotted the shed where they had put our horses…"

"How did he know where they were?" asked Arthur with a frown, as they reached the cluster of trees.

"Well, we were both knocked unconscious, weren't we?" said Gwaine. "Elyan saw them put the horses in the shed…anyway, we need to hurry up and go."

Arthur followed him as he rounded the clump of trees and found himself face to face with Merlin and Elyan.

"There you are!" said Elyan in relief. He held out the reins of the horse he was holding to Arthur. "Someone will have to carry Merlin on their horse – there are only three, and Merlin is too weak to ride anyway."

Arthur felt a pang of sympathy for Merlin as he flushed in evident embarrassment. "He can come with me," he said at once.

Merlin nodded and smiled as Elyan helped him over to Arthur's horse. As for Arthur himself, he wasn't quite sure why he felt so happy, especially considering the small but awkward incident earlier. However, now Elyan was lifting a smiling Merlin on to Arthur's horse, so there was no going back now, not even if Arthur wanted to, which he certainly didn't. He was just pleased that they had Merlin back - now that he had him back, all his strange feelings he had been experiencing towards his friend would go, he thought, although it was with less confidence than he would have liked.

"Sire? We need to leave as soon as possible."

Arthur nodded hastily and mounted his horse. As he noticed the close proximity between Merlin's body and his, he felt a strange feeling spread through his body, and groaned inwardly. This was going to be a long journey.

**A/N: Please tell me what you think! :) I know that basically all the scenes with the bandits are a bit rubbish, but the next chapter will have a LOT of Merthur in it which I'm really looking forward to writing :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you VERY much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! :)**

The next few minutes passed in complete silence. Arthur, Gwaine and Elyan were concentrating on putting as much distance between them and the bandits as they could, as well as making sure that Merlin was all right. Arthur kept him close, trying to detect any signs that could indicate he was riding too fast for him.

When they were sure they were a significant distance ahead of the bandits, they slowed down slightly, and Arthur wasted no time in asking the question that had been playing on his mind ever since they had left the bandits.

"What exactly happened back there?"

"Well, er…" said Elyan, exchanging a tremulous look with Gwaine.

Arthur's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why do you look so nervous?"

"No reason," said Elyan quickly.

"Well, actually there is…" began Arthur.

"Can we talk about it later?" asked Merlin quietly, looking up at Arthur with a slightly pleading expression on his face. "Please?"

Arthur studied him, taking in his large eyes, filled with a desperation Arthur couldn't quite comprehend. He nodded slowly, puzzled, but let the matter drop.

When it was too dark to go on, the small group came to a stop, preparing to settle down for the night. Arthur lifted Merlin down from the horse, feeling strangely flushed and discomfited as he set his friend down gently on the grass.

Merlin staggered to his feet almost at once, but Arthur grabbed him and urged him back down at once. "What are you doing Merlin?"

"Making a fire for us," said Merlin in surprise.

"You're too weak to work!" said Arthur. "Look, lean back against this tree and close your eyes. You need to rest."

"Right," said Merlin hoarsely, settling down with a faint smile on his face as he watched Arthur tie his horse to the tree and settle down next to him.

"I'm glad we've got you back," said Arthur honestly, smiling at his friend.

Merlin shifted slightly closer to Arthur, causing Arthur to fidget slightly, although not in an uncomfortable way. In fact, it felt quite nice. Merlin, up against him, their bodies touching, one of his hands just inches away from Arthur's knee…

Arthur snapped back to his senses, his ears ringing. _What had he just been thinking? _Overcome with embarrassment and confusion, he leapt to his feet, feeling his cheeks flood with colour.

"Arthur?" Merlin looked upset, surprised, his eyes filled with hurt. Arthur felt his heart twist with guilt.

"Sorry," he said quickly, sitting back down again. "I…I was just…"

"It's okay," said Merlin, focusing on his lap, his face hidden in shadow.

"Right," said Arthur awkwardly.

Elyan hurried past, followed closely by Gwaine. "We're going to get some wood for the fire!" he called, jerking his thumb towards Gwaine. "Back soon."

"Actually," said Gwaine hesitantly, "I wondered if I might have a word, my Lord."

"Of course," said Arthur. "Can you talk to me here?"

Gwaine shuffled his feet awkwardly. "I was thinking more…well…"

"Why don't we go and feed the horses while you talk to me?" asked Arthur, catching on.

Gwaine nodded gratefully in apparent relief and the two of them walked in silence until they reached the horses.

"So what's this about?" said Arthur curiously.

"Merlin," said Gwaine bluntly.

"Merlin?" Arthur repeated, puzzled.

Gwaine sighed. "And about me and Elyan's conversation the other day. Sire, I wanted to ask you if you heard anything else? I know you told us that all you heard was…"

"Yes," Arthur interrupted.

Gwaine stopped abruptly and for a few seconds they stared at one another, each trying to read the others expression. "What did you hear?" Gwaine asked eventually, when he could see that Arthur wasn't going to speak.

Arthur felt himself turning red. "Just…what Elyan said."

"I see," said Gwaine carefully. "I thought at the time that you had heard."

"You didn't say anything," said Arthur, feeling a mixture of shame and embarrassment well inside him.

"Well, I wasn't entirely sure if you actually _had_ heard."

"So why are you telling me now?"

Gwaine sighed. "For Merlin."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, his brow furrowed.

"Look, what we said was true," said Gwaine abruptly. "Merlin loves you, I know he does. All of the knights do. And I was watching both of you today and saw the way he kept looking at you. He loves you, and you love him, even if you aren't aware of it yet. So if I were you, I would make my feelings known, to put him out of his misery."

There was a very long silence. Arthur's mouth was half open, and he was glued to the ground in shock. He tried to gather his whirling thoughts together, but that proved almost impossible.

"I…" he croaked eventually, sounding as though his voice hadn't been used in hundreds of years.

Gwaine was turning away, already making his way back to the camp. "We should go before they come out looking," he called over his shoulder.

Arthur hurried to catch him up, grabbing hold of his shoulder as he reached him. "Gwaine," he stammered, spinning him round, "what…what exactly are you…a few days ago you thought I didn't care about him!"

"I knew you cared about him deep down," said Gwaine with a heavy sigh. "And we've _always_ had a sneaking suspicious that you love him, you just don't know that you do…"

"Who's we?" demanded Arthur in a panic. "Don't tell me everyone thinks this!"

"The other knights do, yes," said Gwaine vaguely. "Look, there's Merlin and Elyan…"

"So you've basically all been discussing me behind my back?" said Arthur flatly.

"No!" said Gwaine quickly. "We just…anyway, Elyan and I had better be off." He grinned at Elyan, who had been sitting next to Merlin, and was now struggling to his feet.

"See you Merlin," he said, ruffling his hair as he left. Arthur felt a flash of jealousy and almost closed his eyes in despair. _Why was he feeling so jealous?_

Elyan nodded to Arthur, who nodded back and watched the two of them leave, walking further and further away until the darkness had swallowed them.

"Arthur?"

Arthur turned to face Merlin, who was now staring up at the black sky. Arthur couldn't see his face, but Merlin's hands gave him away; they were fidgeting nervously with the corner of his sleeve, twisting and pulling it in evident discomfort.

"Yes?" he said, tearing his eyes away from Merlin's hands and focusing on the opposite tree. Despite the fact he couldn't see it, he didn't think he could bear to look at his friend, thanks to his conversation with Gwaine. He knew the knight had only been trying to be helpful, but in reality, Arthur didn't think he had helped with anything at all – now he was too embarrassed to even look at his friend.

"I'm sorry. About the argument we had before I was kidnapped." The words tumbled out of Merlin, one on top of the other.

"Oh," said Arthur blankly, pleased, albeit slightly taken aback, by the apology. "Well, I'm sorry about it too. And…and it's helped me realise that maybe I _am_ a bit harsh on you sometimes. So I've decided that I'm going to treat you better."

There was a silence. Arthur could hardly believe that he had just said that – actually _apologised_ to Merlin. A few weeks ago, he would never have dreamed of apologising to Merlin for anything, but he assumed that being separated from him for a few days had had a great impact on his opinion of his friend.

"Thank you," he heard Merlin say in unmistakable shock, followed by a shaky laugh. "Blimey Arthur – have you had a personality transplant while I've been away?"

"You never know," said Arthur teasingly, his stomach feeling as though it was full of snakes, writhing with nerves. "But maybe I've just decided to be nice, well, nic_er_."

"Yes, it's impossible for you to be nicer than usual, of course," said Merlin – Arthur could hear the smile in his voice. "So, does that mean that you'll let me slack off whenever I want?"

"_No,"_ said Arthur, so firmly that Merlin laughed out loud.

"I should have known not to expect a "yes"," he said in mock sadness.

Arthur smiled, forgetting for a minute that Merlin couldn't see him. He was glad that Merlin appeared to be feeling better, or, at least, better than before.

"We'd better…" he began.

"Hello!" came a bright voice, and Arthur, turning, found that Elyan and Gwaine had returned, and were busy setting up a campfire. "We're just about to go and get us some food."

"Oh, right," said Arthur, feeling slightly flustered. He watched as they lit the fire, casting a light over the surroundings. Arthur, glancing at Merlin, wasn't sure whether to feel pleased or not that he could now see him perfectly clearly, his face bathed in the flickering orange light.

"See you soon," said Gwaine, glancing at Arthur, who stared purposefully in the opposite direction. "Come on Elyan."

Elyan smiled at Merlin and Arthur and left, following Gwaine as he led the way round the corner and out of sight.

Arthur turned to look at Merlin, who was inspecting his sleeve in apparent interest, his face turned away from Arthur's.

"How are you feeling?"

Merlin glanced up and met Arthur's eyes. As their eyes connected, Arthur felt something strange crawl up his spine, something he hadn't ever felt before. He pushed the feeling away, alarmed. He couldn't _really_ have a crush on Merlin…could he?

"I'm feeling a bit better now," Merlin was saying, and, with a great effort, Arthur pulled himself back into the conversation.

"That's, er, good," he said, well aware of how inadequate the words sounded, but at a loss for what else to say.

Merlin nodded, but didn't say anything. He looked exhausted, and appeared to be finding it difficult preventing his eyelids from drooping shut. Arthur took advantage of the silence by looking at Merlin, _really_ looking at him, not simply glancing at him like he usually did. He tried to suppress the feeling of strong, overwhelming affection as he noticed Merlin's big ears, which, he had to admit, he had always found quite sweet…

"Arthur?"

Arthur jumped slightly, his heart pounding as he met Merlin's eyes for the second time that day. "Are you all right?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Merlin nodded. "Fine. I was just going to tell you that I'm going to sleep now, I'm really tired."

"That's fine," said Arthur kindly. "Hope you sleep well."

"Thanks," Merlin murmured, settling down and closing his eyes. As he watched him settle down, Arthur felt a sharp pang of regret, although he wasn't entirely sure why he felt that way.

"Are you warm enough?" he found himself asking in a rush, his stomach fluttering with nerves.

"I'm fine, thanks," replied Merlin, opening his eyes with a smile.

"If you're sure," said Arthur, swallowing hard as he felt a surge of nerves rise up inside him, and mentally cursing himself for being this stupid. He hadn't been feeling like this around Merlin a few days ago – why was it that as soon as Merlin had been kidnapped, he felt like this whenever he was around him? In fact, it had been ever since he had heard Gwaine and Elyan's conversation that this had all started so technically this was their fault, especially Gwaine's…

Merlin was settling down again, closing his eyes once more. Arthur still felt as though there was more he wanted to say, but he couldn't think of how to say it, in fact, he still wasn't sure what it was he _wanted_ to say…

"Arthur, I have to tell you something."

Arthur turned round to face Merlin, who had sat up, his face stiff and miserable.

"What's wrong?" said Arthur fearfully, slightly unnerved by Merlin's abrupt change of mood.

"Earlier, with the bandits, it was me who allowed us to escape. I used magic." Merlin stammered out these words, his eyes desperate and distressed. "I'm sorry Arthur, I'm magic, but I didn't even mean to use it back then, it just…burst out of me. I was born with magic – I can't help having it, and I know you won't approve, but I've used it so much to save your life, it's not all bad, but I'm sorry. I can't bear to lie to you anymore."

Arthur sat, his eyes wide, as he struggled to process the information. _Merlin had magic._ He breathed out deeply, clenching his fists, willing himself to remain calm. He hadn't ever considered that his friend might be a sorcerer but now he thought of it, it made perfect sense. The number of times Merlin had saved his life, even the simple things, like making up the campfire when they were out hunting and needed to camp outside for the night. He stared at Merlin, his heart thumping rapidly. Mixtures of emotions were whirling inside him – he wasn't entirely sure how to feel.

But as he studied Merlin, and took in his wide, terrified eyes, and rapidly falling chest due to his laboured breathing, he felt his heart soften and shifted towards him. As Merlin raised his eyes to look at him, there was such sadness in his expression that Arthur couldn't take it anymore. Before he knew what he was doing, he had wrapped his arms around Merlin's neck, pulled him close and pressed his lips to his.

Arthur felt Merlin stiffen in shock in his arms, before cautiously kissing him back, wrapping an arm around Arthur and resting it on his back. Arthur felt a feeling of great pleasure well inside him as he tilted Merlin's head back, deepening the kiss. Merlin responded eagerly, pulling Arthur even closer…

There was a gentle cough from behind them and Arthur pulled back, shocked, spinning round to see Gwaine grinning at them. "Having fun you two?" he asked innocently.

Merlin flushed. "Shut up Gwaine."

Gwaine gave them the thumbs up, positively beaming. Arthur avoided his eyes, mortified to be caught kissing his servant, who, a few minutes ago, had just told him that he had _magic…_

But Arthur, as he turned to look at Merlin, found he didn't regret kissing him one bit. Well, after all that doubt, at least I know that I definitely have a crush on him now, he thought wryly.

**A/N: Well, I hoped you liked this! There will be one more chapter after this I think. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So this is the last chapter! I hope it's okay, and thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! :)**

Arthur ended up making a wild excuse to leave, and hurrying off, reaching a stream and resting against a large, oak tree, completely out of sight of the others. His heart was still thumping as a result of the kiss, and his head was spinning.

He looked out across the calm, still water as he went through what had just happened in his mind. He had _kissed_ his manservant, who had told him that he had magic. He let out a breathless, shaky laugh. How had that come about? He found he had no idea.

Shutting his eyes, he leaned back against the tree with a sigh. Not only had he and Merlin kissed, but he had also discovered that his servant, and friend, was _magic._ He definitely hadn't seen that one coming.

It was a long time before Arthur left the peace and quiet of the stream and made his way back to the others. Thankfully they all appeared to be asleep, which was what he had been hoping. If he hadn't been so lost in his thoughts as he settled down to sleep, but already knowing there was no way he would be able to do so, he would have noticed by the absence of Merlin's usual gentle snores that he wasn't the only one lying awake.

xxooxxooxxooxxoo

Arthur avoided both Merlin and Gwaine the following morning as they packed up, ready to leave the camp. He succeeded in doing this quite well, although there had been one awkward moment when he and Merlin had walked past one another, both avoiding the others eye, until Merlin had slipped on the damp, dewy grass, knocking into Arthur.

Arthur had caught hold of him automatically, but had let go almost at once, and hurried off, flushing and missing Merlin's mumbled thanks from behind him. After that incident, he had redoubled his efforts in avoiding Merlin, until it was time for them to leave.

"Merlin will be riding with you today, won't he Sire?" asked Elyan, already mounting his horse.

"My name is Arthur," said Arthur, not really thinking. He saw Elyan's eyes widen in surprise.

"I'm sorry my Lord…"

"Arthur," said Arthur quickly. "Call me Arthur. And in answer to your question," he continued, feeling an odd sense of pride that he had finally said what he had been wanting to say for so long, "yes." He knew his cheeks were colouring. He glanced towards Merlin, who was limping across towards him, a small, nervous smile on his face.

Arthur helped him on, trying to dispel the feelings of discomfort and embarrassment as he caught sight of Gwaine watching them, grinning madly, making Arthur want to hit him. As they set off, he decided that he was simply going to ignore Merlin for the duration of the journey and pretend he wasn't there. However, this turned out to be easier said than done. Merlin's elbows constantly seemed to be bumping into him, and their knees repeatedly knocked into one another. Each time this happened, Arthur felt a fresh surge of embarrassment and he gritted his teeth, clutching the reins even tighter in his hands, aware his knuckles were turning white but not caring.

"A…Arthur?"

Merlin's voice was so quiet Arthur could pass it off as simply not having heard it, and he did so, continuing to ride as though no one had spoken.

"_Arthur."_

Merlin's voice was louder and stronger now. Arthur knew there was no way he could pretend he hadn't heard it this time, and, taking a deep breath, he answered, "Yes?"

"Why are you angry with me?"

"I'm not," Arthur replied in genuine surprise.

"Because I know you'll be angry about…about what I told you last night. But I don't understand why you kissed me if you were angry."

Arthur flushed. "I didn't mean…I didn't to kiss you."

Merlin didn't reply. Arthur couldn't resist glancing round to look at him, and saw that his face had dropped. He felt a flash of guilt.

"I mean…" he began nervously, turning to face the front again, "I…well, I didn't _dis_like it…"

"You didn't?" Merlin asked in a small voice. "Because_ I_ quite liked it."

Arthur's cheeks flooded with colour, his heart beginning to hammer against his chest. "Really?" he asked weakly.

"Yes," said Merlin quickly, "and I like you, Arthur. Whatever you think."

Arthur felt a flash of shock, which was soon overcome by a mad rush of joy, increasing as he remembered the conversation he had had with Gwaine last night. His held the reins with difficulty – his hands had gone numb.

"You do?" he stammered.

"Yes." Merlin shifted uncomfortably. "I…I always have. And when you kissed me yesterday, I thought that you liked me too. But today, you've been avoiding me. Is it because of my magic?"

"It's because I was embarrassed," Arthur admitted shakily. "And I'm still struggling to come to terms with your magic Merlin, if I'm honest. But I'll probably accept it eventually; after all, it makes sense, taking into account all you've done for me."

Arthur couldn't see Merlin's face, but he imagined that it would have just broken into a broad smile. And although Merlin didn't speak for the rest of the journey, Arthur knew he was happy. And he found that, after their conversation, he was too.

The journey back to Camelot seemed to go much quicker than before, despite the fact that it was the same distance back to the castle than it was from the castle to the bandits hideout. Arthur hadn't given the bandits much thought, in fact, he had hardly given them _any _thought, too caught up in all the business with Merlin. He knew that he would have to do something about them, and soon, but his main priority right now was to get Merlin to Gaius.

As he helped Merlin down from the horse, he glanced towards Gwaine and Elyan. "I'm off to take Merlin to Gaius – he needs rest," he said, ignoring the small noises of protest Merlin was making behind him.

"Sure," said Gwaine. "Hope you two have a nice time." He winked at them before turning away, leaving Arthur to pull a face at his retreating back.

He and Merlin made their way to Gaius in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. As they entered his chambers, they found the room empty and Arthur sighed wearily.

"I don't know where he is," he told Merlin, gesturing towards a seat. "We might as well sit and wait."

Merlin nodded and lowered himself slowly and painfully into the chair. Arthur sat down beside him, crossing his fingers so tightly it hurt as he prayed that Gaius would return soon. He didn't think he could bear sitting with Merlin for too long.

"Arthur, I was wondering…"

Arthur turned to look at Merlin as his voice faltered slightly. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering," Merlin began hesitantly, "what you were planning to do about my magic? I don't want to stay here if you don't want me to, or feel uncomfortable about it."

"No," said Arthur quickly. The mere thought of Merlin leaving Camelot made his heart clench painfully and he gripped the arm of the chair with his hand, shaking his head firmly. "It's fine. I…I'm not going to do _any_thing about it."

Merlin stared at Arthur for a few seconds, before his face broke out into a wide smile. Arthur had to stop himself from lunging forward to kiss Merlin again when he looked like that, and instantly felt a flash of anger, directed at himself. What was _wrong_ with him?

Deep down, he knew the answer.

"Thank you," said Merlin gratefully.

Arthur shook his head. "It's fine." He swallowed. "But Merlin, if you_ want _to leave Camelot you can, you know."

"Why would I want to leave?" asked Merlin in surprise.

"In case, you know, after last night, in case it's awkward…"

"Do _you _want me to leave?" Merlin asked, watching Arthur intently.

"Of course not," said Arthur awkwardly, "but, you know…"

"Arthur, _why_ did you kiss me?" Merlin asked abruptly. "I've told you how I feel about you, but I need to know how you feel about me._ Please_ tell me Arthur."

Arthur blinked, taken by surprise to be asked such a direct question. He glanced at Merlin, whose head was raised slightly, his face a mask of determination. Arthur took a deep breath. "Yes, Merlin, I like you." As soon as these words left his mouth, he felt as though a great weight had just been lifted from his shoulders, leaving him feeling oddly light and free. At the same time, he realised it was true. He _did_ like Merlin.

Merlin let out a sharp intake of breath as he turned to Arthur, but at that precise moment the door was pushed open and Gaius came hurrying into the room.

"Merlin!" he cried, stopping short. "And King Arthur." He set the vials he was carrying down on the table and hastened over to Merlin, whose face was as red as a beetroot. Arthur would have found this funny if he hadn't been feeling so hot and embarrassed himself.

"How are you?" Gaius was asking Merlin, his eyes anxious. "I'm so glad you're safe – when Leon and Percival told me what had happened…" He broke off, shaking his head. "Well, I need to get you to bed. Can you walk?"

"Yes," said Merlin quickly, standing up and tottering off to his bedroom. Arthur realised that he had been so caught up in his feelings for Merlin that he had almost forgotten that he wasn't well. He stood up briskly, intending to go and see Merlin, but Gaius held him back. "I'm terribly sorry, Sire," he said, "but Merlin needs to sleep. Would it be possible if you came to see him later?"

"Of course," said Arthur hastily, turning away to leave. "And please, call me Arthur." He left the room before Gaius could reply.

xxooxxooxxooxxoo

"Gaius, I'm here to see Merlin. How is he?"

Gaius glanced up from his book. "Very nice to see you, my…_Arthur,"_ he said, smiling as Arthur nodded in satisfaction. He stood up, placing his book to the side. "Merlin woke up a few minutes ago and he seems quite well, certainly better than I had anticipated anyway."

"Good," said Arthur with a smile. "And can I see him?"

"Certainly," said Gaius. Arthur made his way to the door and pushed it open, feeling a flutter of nerves. He pushed them away impatiently.

Merlin was sitting up in bed, holding a book. He bore all the signs of just having been asleep - his hair was dishevelled and his eyes seemed to be only half open. He glanced up as Arthur entered, and all signs of sleep cleared off his face immediately.

"Arthur!" he said in surprise and delight.

Arthur smiled at him as he took a seat by his bed. "Gaius tells me you're not feeling too bad."

"Yes, I'm feeling okay, actually," said Merlin. He paused, seeming to rethink these words. "Well, I suppose I still feel a bit weak and I'm _covered_ in bruises and scratches, but it could be worse. I felt much worse when I was at the bandits place anyway – I don't know if they put a spell on me so I'd feel worse…" He broke off, shrugging. "I don't know."

Arthur smiled distractedly, his mind wandering to the conversation he and Merlin had had before Gaius had walked in on them. He could tell Merlin was thinking of it too. As their eyes met, both of them opened their mouths and spoke at exactly the same time.

"Arthur, I…"

"Merlin, we…"

They stopped and grinned awkwardly at one another. "You go first," said Arthur.

"I was going to say…are we…well, you know?"

Arthur knew what Merlin was meaning. In answer, he leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.

"There you go," he said softly.

Merlin's lips curved upwards into a broad smile. As Arthur ruffled his hair affectionately, he knew that things would be hard, especially considering the latest news that Merlin was magic, however, he knew that they would make it. Together. And there was no other position he'd rather be in than the one he was in right now.

**A/N: So that's the story finished! I really hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or followed this story – I'm really grateful to all of you! The reviews brought a massive smile to my face and I really appreciate that people have taken the time to review this. Thank you! :D**


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